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11 July 2023 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied
Dr Mirriam Moleko
Dr Mirriam Moleko, a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology Education in the UFS Faculty of Education, participated in the National Research Foundation’s Black Academics Advancement Programme fellowship and got the opportunity to visit universities and schools in the USA for three weeks.

After completing the National Research Foundation’s Black Academics Advancement Programme (BAAP) fellowship, a lecturer from the University of the Free State (UFS) now wants to train more teachers on issues of access and inclusivity in different mathematics settings. She also wants to establish a centre for access and inclusivity to promote quality teaching that caters to a diverse learner population.

Dr Mirriam Moleko, a lecturer in the UFS’s Department of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology Education in the Faculty of Education, participated in the BAAP fellowship, an initiative of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the FirstRand Foundation (FRF), from 2021 to 2022. She also got the opportunity to visit universities and schools in the USA for three weeks.

Supporting emerging academics

Dr Moleko says the BAAP is a prestigious NRF programme which supports well-structured research projects with achievable aims, sound methodologies, and demonstrated prudent use of funds. The programme supports emerging academics to ensure that they develop strong research skills, collaborate with prolific scholars in their fields, visit other universities abroad, give public lectures, and attend international conferences to establish an international footprint.

“The programme allows the candidates awarded the grant to focus on research for two years” she says. “I managed to run my teacher community research project successfully during this period. My goal as an academic and a researcher is to produce work that teachers can relate to and be able to apply in their profession. I have always aspired to empower teachers to be knowledgeable and resourceful”.

“Furthermore, my goal is to strive to partake in critical conversations that are taking place within the mathematics education field, and to contribute my skills and knowledge in addressing the existing challenges, thus being part of the solution. I believe the skills that I have gained on how to conduct quality research will assist me in achieving my goals,” she added.

Benefit from funding

During the period of her fellowship she learned about forming partnerships and collaborating with other scholars in her field, which she believes is an important skill to possess as a developing scholar.

Dr Moleko says the programme played a pivotal role in the attainment of numerous significant accomplishments in her professional career thus far. She also benefitted in terms of funding, which helped her undertake autonomous research and advanced training in her area of expertise, as well as facilitated engagement in collaborative research ventures with esteemed professionals and researchers, both domestically and abroad.

“The research leave that I got enabled me to successfully conceptualise, strategise, and implement a research endeavour that yielded a more profound comprehension of the research gap that I had identified within the teacher community, thus culminating in multiple publications in esteemed periodicals.

“The NRF-BAAP funding also enabled me to undertake training, thereby refining my skill set and augmenting my comprehension of intricate principles. The experience proved to be a crucial factor in my vocational growth and bolstered my aptitude for scholarly inquiry. It also afforded me the chance to engage in mentoring endeavours for fledgling researchers.”

Transformation of the Professoriate Mentoring Programme

Dr Moleko, who is part of the UFS Transformation of the Professoriate Mentoring Programme, says this programme is an excellent initiative which is aimed at preparing young academics for future promotions and offering them skills to be competitive. The programme’s goals include building strong academics who will follow in the footsteps of the university’s current leaders.

She says the programme is critical in supporting young academics by connecting them with seasoned mentors and scholars from various fields of study. It is essential for young academics in terms of maximising their learning, expanding their network, and gaining opportunities to help facilitate their growth.

“I see the programme as a catalyst for change necessary for the university to realise the desired results,” Dr Moleko says.

During her visit to the USA she spent two weeks at Boston College and the University of Rhode Island, and also visited the Center for Applied and Specialised Technology, the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities (Sherlock Center), and the TechACCESS Center.

“The purpose of my visit was to establish networks and collaborate with prolific scholars outside South Africa on research engagements. Furthermore, the visit was intended for me to meet with my international mentors in person regarding research engagements.

“During my research visit, Prof Elizabeth Dalton from Rhode Island University and a UDL specialist, and I focused on several academic conversations and demonstrations of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies and approaches, as well as the sharing of many online resources available to support the implementation of UDL in inclusive settings.”

News Archive

Theatre, photography, literature, and lectures: TFR Studies to showcase their success
2016-11-29

The end of the year usually introduces a mood of reflection on what was and what could have been. For Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation (TFR) Studies at the University of the Free State, the past year recalls a flourish of achievements worth celebrating.

Therefore, TFR Studies held an end-of-year event to showcase the successes of 2016. This comprised lectures from leading researchers in social sciences and housing rights, the release of three new books, a theatre production, and a photo exhibition.

Description: TFR Studies to showcase their success Tags: TFR Studies to showcase their success

Lectures
Prof Anthony Collins – a leading scholar in identity and culture – will speak about violence in contemporary South Africa. Prof Collins, who holds a PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz, has extensive knowledge in the interdisciplinary area of critical social sciences and won two national awards for teaching and learning.

In addition, housing rights activist Faeza Meyer will share her experiences of forced eviction and violence in Kapteinsklip, Western Cape. She will also talk about the process of documenting these experiences and working together with feminist historian Koni Benson.

New books
Breathe in the smell of fresh ink as Dr Samantha van Schalkwyk, Dr Kim Wale, and PhD candidate Naleli Morojele introduce their books to the public. Themes of violence and gender – pertinent to South Africa – thread through each of these books in unique ways.

Theatre
The award-winning play, AVU – directed and produced by Michelle Hoffman who is a master’s student at TFR – will be performed. The story dances between the blurry lines of reality and fantasy, between Boer and Bantu.

Photo exhibition
Lerato Machetela, a PhD candidate with TFR, has featured as one of SA’s Heroes for her work among the youth of Jagersfontein. Through an innovative method, Machetela is employing an arts-based approach to research through PhotoVoice. The result: a photo exhibition by the youth of Jagersfontein – and a rare opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a child.

 

Photo: Jagersfontein Diamonds in the Rough gumboots group, production still of AVU, and Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela with the PhotoVoice exhibit.

 

 

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